I only have a quick moment before dinner, and the weird wireless situation they have here makes things challenging. But no need to explain now. (And I won't spell check this until later, so apologies ahead of time.
First picture....I was at the Holy Sepulchre yesterday, site of Calvary. The big old church is shown below. Just a big huge old church stuck in the middle of other crowded buildings smack dab in the middle of the Old City. Like walking into a slightly smaller, older, darker Cathedral of St. Paul, but finding it stuck in the middle of streets in Greenwich Village. Very crowded, and the devout were taking pictures all over the place. I'm glad I went. This actual site of Calvary -- well, without going into great detail -- was plowed down and leveled by the Romans in the 1st C A.D. who didn't want to have any memorial for worshipers to go to, so the site is located up steps on the second level of the Church, approximating where the top of the hill likely would be. Just kind of like going up steps in a big fancy cathedral to the loft or organ bay and seeing a big mahogany shrine and a million candles and brass holders, etc. Certainly nothing like a gravely rock pile on the barren spots outside of the city, as it must have been 2000 years ago. Kind of hard to picture it at all, in fact. But, it is the place, even if it bears no resemblance ,these 20 centuries later.
OK, last night then we drove up north and stayed right on the Meditteranean at a kibbutz called Nachsolym. This morning, I sat out on the beach to write at 7:00AM. Here are the pictures. The Meditteranean is inspiring. Kind of like a European Corona Beer commercial.
Breakfast was quite boring. Cold mush and stale bread. Bleeccchhhh. Hey....do not look at this picture. Ignore that man behind the screen! Pay him no mind! The Mighty Oz has spoken!!!
OK........the food at Kibbutz is incredible. Such a variety, and much of it homegrown. I had to take is picture. And this is only one of about five tables they had. For breakfast! Smoked salmon, fresh fish, chicken wings, portobello mushrooms! But, I am not here for the food......but it is a nice accoutrement!
Next, we drove to just a little ways up the coast to Caserea for most of the day. Old ruins, major Old and New Testmanet city. For now, again, you are spared more historical tidbits......other than: St. Paul usually set sail from here on his journeys, was sent To Rome from here, and was also imprisoned here for two years. Not a bad place to serve time, at least in terms of weather. Feels like La Jolla, north of San Diego. Probaby no swimming time for prisoners, I suppose. This is where Herod and Pontius Pilate usually stayed. Their "beach house". It's all pretty much in ruins todya. Herod had a big palace here. Major shipping port, etc. Time constraints will save you from having to read more of the histroy I could write aobut here. But it was very interesting.
Pictue below in fact is photo of an orignal inscripiton they uncovered that is a declaration of something or anohter, about some civic announcmenet from the procurator way back then....none other than......Pontius Pilate! (BOOOOOoooooooooo) He signed some stone tablet, and they found this when they excavated a sports stadium. the stone had been used as a stadium seat several years later (true!!!) and they were recycling their old granite rocks. this was found on the underside of a seat! Crazy, hmmmm. Thought I'd have my pciture taken next to his autograph.
Below is a picutre of my roomate for the next few weeks. A lovely, charming, polite young priest named Liam O'Callaghan, from County Waterfoird , Ireland. (Can't make it up. Two Irish guys in one room , and lights were out by 11:30past night!) Lilting quiet Irish voice that sounds so cool (O'Keefe Family -- he reminds me soooooooooooooo much of a very mellow Ken Wasness, in looks and personality! Could be his twin brother.) Friendly.....does mission work specializing in Christian-Islamic dialgoue in PAkistan, where he now lives. I'll tell you more later.
OK, have to run to dinner. I will write again soon, I promise.
WAIT......last things....Tonight I am at a kibbutz at a town called En Gev, right on the beach on.....the Seal Of Galilee! It is not as big as Minnetonka, you can see across, and to both ends, north and south. It is surrounded by very tall hills and mountains. It is....well, amazing. Think of the stories that happenned on these waters....RIGHT OUTSIDE my window.
Molly and I are looking at your posts and she says that your roomie looks a lot like Ken. She also is loving the names of your posts. Her favorite so far is "Careful, Malchus" and says it to me at least once a day. I think she needs some new material.
ReplyDeleteWe'll stay tuned!